Electrochemical system and method for the treatment of water and wastewater

ABSTRACT

Contaminants are removed from untreated raw water or discharge water by applying direct current through an array of spaced, alternately charged electrodes positioned within and electrically isolated from a housing to eliminate or minimize clogging of the electrodes with precipitated contaminants. The housing is surrounded with container structure that cooperates with the housing to define an inlet chamber positioned between the source of untreated water and the housing containing the spaced array of electrodes. The container structure further includes an outlet chamber defined between the housing and the container structure for accumulating and draining water treated by the spaced electrode array.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/492,367, filed on Jun. 26, 2009, and claims the benefit ofpriority to Provisional Application No. 61/725,861, filed on Nov. 13,2012, and Provisional Application No. 61/610,053, filed on Mar. 13,2012. Each of above applications is incorporated herein by reference inits entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to water and wastewater treatment, and moreparticularly, but not limited to, treatment of surface water,groundwater, domestic sewage, industrial feed water, industrial processwastewater, hazardous and toxic wastes, liquid waste byproducts, thebyproducts including, but not limited to, waste biosolids and membranereject water, as well as but not limited to bilge water and waste waterfrom ships.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A variety of methods have been used to treat and remove contaminantsfrom water and wastewater. The procedures and techniques actually usedby municipal utilities for the treatment of drinking water and sanitarysewage have remained largely unchanged for at least 40 years.

Municipal drinking water treatment typically involves pumping surface(river or reservoir) water to a high energy mixing tank where alumand/or lime is added. The water then flows into a low energy mixing tankwhere chemically bound sediment floc is formed. From the flocculationtank the water flows into a gravity clarification tank, then on to agranular media filter and finally the water is disinfected with chlorineprior to distribution.

Municipal treatment of groundwater (wells) tends typically to involvethe addition of a strong oxidant such as chlorine or potassiumpermanganate to oxidize a variety of dissolved pollutants such as iron,manganese, trace organics, heavy metals, radionuclides and bacteria. Thechemically treated groundwater is then filtered and disinfected prior todistribution.

Municipal treatment of sanitary sewage typically includes screening toremove large solids, treatment of dissolved organics through a processgenerically referred to as activated sludge, gravity settling(clarification), then filtration and finally disinfection. In the pastchlorine was commonly used for the disinfection of both water andwastewater, but as a result of recognition by the US EPA that byproductsof chlorine may be potentially carcinogenic, new regulations have beenpassed limiting the widespread use of chlorine and requiring thereduction or elimination of disinfection byproducts. Consequently,ultraviolet light has emerged as the disinfectant of choice.

Because procedures and techniques for treating water and wastewater haveadvanced little over the past 40 years, there is a glaring need for newmethods and systems for treating water and wastewater that is efficient,effective and reliable and which produces minimal waste byproducts(sludge).

Prior art attempts to improve systems and electrochemical treatmentmethods for wastewater treatment have not been satisfactory. Thosereported in the literature have utilized either parallel electrifiedplates made of iron or aluminum as electrodes, or a single rod within acylinder made of iron or aluminum as electrodes. In the case of theparallel plates, the electrical charge density on the plates isinsufficient to properly treat the water or wastewater unless the platespacing is minimal (less than ¼″; 0.365 cm). This typically results inrapid plugging or clogging of the treatment unit. In the case of asingle rod within a cylinder, often the spacing between the central rodand the perimeter wall is so great as to be ineffective in creating asufficiently strong charge density to completely treat water orwastewater.

Classically, the efforts of the past have focused on the use of eitherparallel plates or center rods inside a tube as the positively andnegatively charged electrodes. Due to the inefficiency of the platedesigns, it was considered necessary to minimize plate spacings whichquickly resulted in fouling of treatment units. The center rod and tubedesigns experienced similar problems and attempted to use high voltagepotentials to overcome ineffectiveness. In one approach, usingelectrochemical cells in series with varying electrode materials wastried to achieve the desired treatment effectiveness. In every case,treatment technologies proved to be physically self-limiting and scalingfactors (enlarging the units) became problematic. Furthermore, theseapproaches were typically characterized by high energy consumption asattempts to reach intended treatment levels were explored. This factbecame a significant barrier to practical commercialization. Previousattempts to develop effective electrochemical technologies for treatmentof water and wastewater resulted in processes that were very expensiveto operate and not effective.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system is provided for removing contaminants from raw water or wastewater. The system includes at least one electrochemical treatment modulecomprising a housing having an inlet for untreated water and an outletfor treated water that has been treated within the housing. An array ofelectrodes is positioned within the housing to provide electricallyconductive grills. The electrodes have spaces therebetween of a selecteddistance, the spaces being greater than about 0.25 inch (0.635 cm). Asource is provided for applying direct current the electrodes to chargeone portion of the array positively and another portion of the arraynegatively so as to create an electrical gradient between portions ofthe array, the direct current being sufficient to ionize contaminants,but not large enough to clog the spaces between electrodes withprecipitated contaminants. A container structure disposed adjacent tothe housing. The container structure has an inlet chamber and an outletchamber, wherein the inlet chamber accumulates untreated water receivedand delivers the untreated water to the inlet of the housing. Thehousing has an outlet that is connected to the outlet chamber of thecontainer and the outlet chamber has an outlet line that drains treatedwater from the outlet chamber.

In an aspect of the invention, the container structure has an innerwall. The housing is polygonal with at least two pairs of verticallyextending corners, each of which corners engaging the inner wall toprovide first and second housing walls that cooperate with the innerwall of the container structure to define the inlet and outlet chambers.

In an aspect of the invention, the first housing wall defines an inletopening at the bottom thereof and the second wall defines an outletopening at the top thereof with the outlet opening being larger in areathan the inlet opening.

In an aspect of the invention, the inlet opening extends horizontallywith respect to a lower edge of the first wall of the housing and theoutlet extends horizontally with respect to the second wall of thehousing.

In an aspect of the invention, the inlet opening is an undercut of thefirst wall and the outlet opening is an overcut of the second wall.

In an aspect of the invention, the housing containing the array ofelectrodes is square and the container defines a cylindrical inner wall.

In an aspect of the invention, two side chambers are formed in additionto the inlet and outlet chambers.

In an aspect of the invention, the two side chambers are filled withsolid foam.

In a further aspect of the invention, a plurality of cells each definedby a module within a container are arranged in parallel to treatcontaminated water flowing to each of the cells through a feed line fromthe source of contaminated water.

In still a further aspect of the invention, the housing and thecontainer structure are both made of dielectric material. To preventsubstantial leakage of electric charge from the electrically conductivegrills to the housing and container structure, an air gap is disposedbetween the top surface of the untreated water accumulated in the inletchamber and the inlet line connected to the inlet line. An additionalair gap occurs between the outlet of the housing and treated wateraccumulated in the outlet chamber.

The present invention described herein relates to systems forefficiently and effectively removing a broad range of contaminants fromwater and wastewater including, but not limited to, surface water,groundwater, industrial process water, sanitary sewage, industrialwastewater, water containing hazardous or toxic materials, stormwaterrunoff containing a variety of organic and inorganic pollutants andcontaminants and fluid streams containing byproducts of conventionalwater treatment and waste activated sludge treatment from domesticwastewater treatment plants.

The systems described herein achieve treatment and removal of dissolvedand particulate, organic and inorganic contaminants by means of avariety of treatment and removal processes. The processes include, butare not limited to, electro-coagulation, electro-flocculation,electro-flotation, electrochemical oxidation, electrochemical reduction,electrolysis of water and other molecules, dissociation of water andother molecules and both organic and inorganic ions, production of freeradicals in the aqueous solution, electrical charge neutralization,decrease of Zeta potential, electroplating, and electrical voltagepotential resulting in the destruction of bacteria and viruses.

The systems described herein effectively treat, oxidize, remove ordestroy a broad range of contaminants including but not limited to thefollowing:

-   -   heavy metals such as chromium, lead, mercury, cadmium, copper        and zinc,    -   arsenic from groundwater,    -   petroleum oils in the form of refinery wastes, well drilling        spoils, runoff from transportation activities including truck        and vehicle washing and airport fueling operations,    -   contaminants generated by marine vessels including military        ships, merchant marine vessels, cruise ships and pleasure        crafts, including the treatment of bilge water,    -   fats, oils and grease (FOGs) from a variety of sources including        food production facilities such as slaughtering plants, dairies,        mayonnaise, vegetable oil and salad dressing plants, bakeries,        fish processing plants, rendering plants, and further processing        and finished product plants,    -   aquatic nuisance nutrients such as nitrogen in the form of        nitrates and phosphates,    -   organic and inorganic acid wastes,    -   organic wastes high in biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and high        chemical oxygen demand (COD),    -   organic wastes with long chain and complex organic compounds,    -   pharmaceutical wastes,    -   pharmaceuticals in urine and feces,    -   wastes contaminated with phenolic compounds,    -   wastes with high concentrations of organic and inorganic        suspended or colloidal solids,    -   wastes with high concentrations of toxic organics including        cyanide,    -   colloidal solids, sediment and algae from surface water,    -   iron, manganese and nitrate from groundwater and    -   organics, solids, nitrogen, phosphorous and bacteria from        domestic sanitary sewage,    -   waste water from fracking practiced in the production of natural        gas and petroleum,    -   gray water from laundry operations both domestic and industrial,    -   nuclear waste and water contaminated with transuranic material        and/or radon.

The systems described herein effectively achieve, but are not limitedto, the following:

improvement of dewaterability of water and wastewater treatment plantsludges,

achievement of drier solids cakes during dewatering,

achievement of the condition of Class A solids,

economical reduction the amount of polymer used for chemicalprecipitation,

economical reduction of the amount of inorganic salts used for chemicalprecipitation,

effective destruction of bacteria and viruses and

achievement of “secondary” levels of treatment of raw domestic sewage,

The systems described herein effectively treat raw water or generateddomestic sanitary sewage from such applications as remote oil and gasexploration camps, oil drilling rigs, military base camps and improvesof drinking water and sanitary conditions in third world countries.

The systems described herein utilize electrochemical treatment withdirect electrical current to an electrochemical cell consisting ofspecially designed parallel rods situated parallel with the direction offlow. The design of the selective electrode materials and electrodespacing includes integrating the system's operating variables into anindividual design which is then applied for the removal of a specificcontaminant or a combination of contaminants that are present atspecific concentrations within an aqueous stream for a specificapplication or industry. The cells may be single or plural in parallelor series arrays.

The systems described herein take advantage of selective electrodematerials which offer advantages one over the other for the removal of aspecific contaminant or a combination of contaminants that may bepresent in an aqueous stream, or to achieve a specific byproductchemistry based on either the further intended treatment steps or theultimate fate of the byproducts of which are to be disposed. Selectiveelectrode materials may include, but are not limited to, iron, aluminum,titanium, carbon fiber, stainless steel or any other effective electrodematerial.

The systems described herein utilize specific electrode materials andconfiguration selection designed to achieve specific levels of treatmentbased on the specific contaminant or a combination of contaminants thatare present at specific concentrations within the aqueous stream and thedesired degree of treatment or removal. The variables which effectselective electrode material and configuration design includecontaminants or the combination of contaminants to be removed, theconcentrations of those contaminants, rates of flow, the pH of theaqueous streams and fluid conductivities. A resultant design isspecifically developed to include selection of electrode material,electrode design configuration, electrode type, spacing between theelectrodes, power to be applied and retention time in theelectrochemical treatment unit selected. The resultant combination ofvariables results in both a specific electrical charge density or rangeand a specific ionic charge density or range.

Summary of the Electrochemical Treatment Method

A first step of overall electrochemical treatment methods involves thecapture and transfer of the water or wastewater to an electrochemicaltreatment unit. This step includes pumping surface water, groundwater orwastewater to the electrochemical treatment unit.

A second step in overall electrochemical treatment methods involvespassing the water or wastewater through an electrochemical treatmentunit described in this application. In this step direct electricalcurrent is applied and the rate of flow is adjusted to achieve a desiredlevel of treatment based on the concentration of the contaminant orcontaminants to be removed. Hydraulic residence time within theelectrochemical treatment unit is in a range of about 15 seconds toabout 2 minutes, depending on the concentration of the contaminant orcontaminants to be removed.

A third step in overall electrochemical treatment methods involvespassing effluent from the treatment unit through either a clarifier orfilter for removal of any oxidized and/or precipitated solid particlesremaining in the water.

Summary of the Electrochemical Treatment Apparatus

Multiple pairs of small diameter rods are employed to develop a strongcharge density on electrodes to achieve effective treatment. By usingmultiple rods with a high charge density, the electrode spacing isgreater than ¼″ (0.635 cm), for example up to about one inch (2.54 cm)which allows for smooth and efficient flow through the treatment unitwithout a propensity of clogging.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of thepresent invention, as to its structure, organization, use and method ofoperation, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, willbe better understood from the following drawings in which presentlypreferred embodiment(s) of the invention are now illustrated by way ofexample. It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are forthe purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended asa definition of the limits of the invention. Embodiments of thisinvention are described by way of example in association with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an electrochemical water and wastewatertreatment system in accordance with the systems, apparatus and methodsof the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of an electrochemical treatment cell according toan initial embodiment of the invention oriented horizontally;

FIG. 3 is a side view partially in elevation taken along lines 3-3 ofFIG. 2 showing an array of electrodes within the electrochemicaltreatment cell;

FIG. 4 is an end view, partially in elevation, taken along lines 4-4showing of FIG. 3 a charge distribution on the array of electrodes shownin FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an end view similar to FIG. 4 showing a reversed chargedistribution on the array of electrodes of FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the electrochemical treatment cellof FIGS. 2-5 with the housing removed showing details of an arrangementfor mounting the electrodes;

FIG. 7 is a side view of an electrochemical treatment cell similar tothat of FIG. 2 but oriented vertically;

FIG. 8 is a perspective, exploded view of a second embodiment of anelectrochemical treatment cell, according to the invention, shownpartially in section;

FIG. 9 is a top view of the treatment cell of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a side elevation of the electrochemical cell of FIG. 9, takenalong lines 10-10;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an electrorode rod sheet used with theelectrochemical treatment cell of FIGS. 8-10;

FIG. 11A is a front view of another embodiment of the electrode sheet ofFIG. 11;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a connector used with the electro rodsheet of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view, partially in section, of a reactionchamber formed of the electrochemical cell of FIGS. 8-12 inserted into acontainer;

FIG. 14 is a top view of the reaction chamber of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a side elevation of the reaction chamber taken along lines15-15 of FIG. 14, and

FIG. 16 is a schematic view of a plurality of reaction chamber cellsarranged in parallel to treat a source of untreated water.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

A variety of organic and inorganic contaminants in water or wastewaterare capable of undergoing direct electrochemical oxidation or reductionwithout the involvement of other substances or catalysts, except for thepossible release of electrode material. A general understanding of thisphenomenon is available from the following considerations of chemicalequations and unbalanced portions of chemical equations.

Electrolysis of Water

In addition to organic and inorganic contaminants, water itself is alsocapable of undergoing electrochemical transformation includingelectrolysis and dissociation as follows:

Reaction at the Anode (Oxidation)2H₂O→O₂↑+4H⁺+4e ⁻Reaction at the Cathode (Reduction)2H₂O+2e ⁻→H₂↑+2OH⁻

The reaction at the cathode results in the production of both hydrogengas and an abundance of free hydroxyl radicals. Conveniently, thehydrogen gas becomes useful for the ultimate flotation of and separationof precipitated chemical flocs, suspended and colloidal solids and fats,oils and grease from the aqueous solution. Conveniently, the freehydroxyl radicals serve as reducing agents for removal of suchcontaminants as heavy metals and to raise the pH of the water. Thisreaction is below to be helpful for:

-   -   Precipitation of Phosphorous    -   Precipitation of Heavy Metals    -   Oxidation of Nitrate and Nitrogen Compounds    -   Bacterial Kill    -   Oxidation of Iron        Fe−2e ⁻→Fe⁺²        Fe⁺² −e ⁻→Fe⁺³        Oxidation of Organic Compounds (General)

Electrochemical oxidation of organic compounds occurs within anelectrochemical cell when sufficient electrical potential differences(voltage) are applied to the anode and cathode electrodes. Due to thefact that organic compounds usually contain one of more high strengthionic and covalent bonds their oxidation proceeds simultaneously withthe production of O₂ from the electrochemical oxidation of H₂O. Thefollowing formula provide a generic form of oxidation of organiccompounds.Org−e ⁻→Oxidation productsOxidation of CyanideCN+2OH⁻═CNO⁻+H₂O+2e ⁻Oxidation of Arsenic

Arsenic in groundwater is usually in the form of arsenite (As⁻³). In theelectrochemical cell fitted with iron electrodes the arsenite undergoesoxidation to arsenate (As⁻⁵). In addition the iron released from theanodes combines with the arsenate to form the insoluble precipitateferric arsenate as follows.2H₃AsO₃+2H₂O→2H₃AsO₄ ⁻+H₂↑2Fe⁺²−2e ⁻→2Fe⁺³2Fe⁺³+6H₂O→2FeOH₃+H²↑2FeOH₃+2H₃AsO₄ ⁻>2FeAsO₄↓+6H₂OCarbonates

Two major contaminants which cause water hardness are calciumbicarbonate, Ca(HCO₃)₂, and magnesium bicarbonate, Mg(HCO₃)₂. In a firstelectrochemical cell according to the invention, the bicarbonates arebroken down by oxidation into the corresponding carbonate, water andcarbon dioxide.Ca(HCO₃)₂→CaCO₃+H₂CO₃

The calcium carbonate is insoluble and will be captured by a filter. Asthe carbonates are strongly electronegative, some may plate out onto theanodes in the electrochemical cells. However, most of the carbonates donot adhere to the anodes. The carbonate acid, H₂CO₃, reacts with anycalcium carbonate scaling in the downstream pipes re-dissolving it tosoluble calcium bicarbonate. Over a period of time, scale will beremoved.CaCO₃(as scale)+H₂CO₃(dissolved CO₂)→Ca(HCO₃)₂

As a result, the water undergoes a softening process and the downstreamscaling is slowly dissolved.

Nitrogen Oxides

As nitrogen oxides such as NO₃, NO₂ and NO undergo reduction in theelectrochemical cells, the nitrogen oxides undergo the followingreactions:Cathode: 2NO₃+12H⁺+10e ⁻→N₂+6H₂OAnode: 2H₂O→2H⁺+O₂+4e ⁻

These reactions are simplified versions of a multi-step process in whichthe nitrogen oxides are reduced. The nitrogen oxides are converted tonitrogen gas. In cases where contamination of the treated water isseverely high, the amount of gas formed may be high enough to requireevacuation from the system. In such cases, the gases are trapped in thehead of the filter vessel onto which an air vent connected to theoutdoors may be mounted.

In a further alternative, the iron anode may be replaced with analuminum anode. When the current is applied to the electrochemical cell,the aluminum anode releases activated alumina into the solution. Theactivated alumina reacts with the arsenate to form aluminum arsenate.Aluminum arsenate is insoluble and will be captured in a downstreamfilter.

The foregoing discussion provides a theoretical basis as for the successof the method and system described herein.

In the present invention the laws of physics, chemistry, electricity,thermodynamics and hydraulics are applied in a cost effective way totreat water and wastewater electrochemically while avoiding the problemsand pitfalls of the past. The key to successful electrochemicaltreatment of water and wastewater at atomic and molecular levels isproperly applying combinations of voltage, amperage, hydraulic retentiontime and electrode material to provide effective electrical chargedensities on electrodes and electrical potential between the electrodesto then produce desired electrochemical reactions. The system describedherein utilizes parallel or substantially parallel electrode arrayconfigurations for incorporating the individual treatment units into ahorizontal or vertical manifold to achieve both redundancy and providefor greater system capacity.

FIGS. 1-7

FIG. 1 is a schematic overall view of a water or wastewaterelectrochemical treatment system 20 configured in accordance with thepresent invention. Water 21 from a raw water source 22, or from awastewater source 23, is screened at a screening station 24 to removelarge solids which could damage downstream apparatus. The raw watersource 22 can be a drilled or dug well or a body of water, such as butnot limited to, a river, stream, lake, reservoir or any other source ofpotentially potable water. If the water 21 is from a wastewater source23, the water can be from a sewage plant, an industrial wastewater siteor from any other source of accumulated or flowing wastewater.

After the screening station 24 has removed large solids from the water21 to prevent downstream damage, the water is pulled by a flowregulating pump 26 and conveyed to an electrochemical treatment unit 28configured in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Amonitor and control module 27 attached to the flow regulating pump 26determines the hydraulic residence time within the electrochemicaltreatment unit 28, and thus depending upon applied electricalparameters, helps determine electrical charge density within theelectrochemical treatment unit. A DC power unit 30 controlled by acontroller 33 converts AC line current to DC and applies DC to theelectrochemical treatment unit 28 while a polarity reverser 32 allowsthe DC to be reversed periodically in order to minimize the possibilityof clogging in the electrochemical unit 28. A selected contaminate ormultiple contaminates are removed form the water stream 21 by theelectrochemical treatment unit 28 while an uncontaminated water stream21A flows to a clarification/filtration station 36. If a gas, such asnitrogen (N₂), is separated from the water stream 21 in theelectrochemical treatment unit 28, the gas may vented by a vent 34.

If the treated water stream 21A still contains suspended solidparticulates precipitated by the electrochemical treatment unit 28, thesuspended solid particulates are removed by a clarification/filtrationstation 36, which comprises either a gravitational or centrifugalseparation unit 37, or a filtration unit 38. In some situations it maybe necessary to use both gravitational or centrifugal separation, aswell as filtration in order to provide an uncontaminated water stream21B which may be for initial use or reuse, or for disposal back into theenvironment.

FIGS. 2-6 illustrate an initial embodiment of an electrochemical module40 for use as the electrochemical treatment unit 28, or for use as astand alone electrochemical treatment unit. The module 40 is an initialprototype of an electrochemical treatment unit formed as a cell, whichmay be combined with other similar cells when practicing the invention.The module 40 has a horizontal orientation in FIG. 2 and hassuccessfully demonstrated that dissolved nitrogen and dissolvedphosphorous compounds are removed from a water stream 21 contaminatedtherewith when mechanical parameters such as electrode spacing, speed ofthe pump 26 and volume of the module 40 are considered in combinationwith electrical parameters, such as potential, amperage and rates ofpolarity change. Using the module 40, Applicant was able todecontaminate a water flow 21 without clogging of the module, a drawbackthat has prevented current commercial use of electrochemicaldecontamination for water treatment.

As is seen in FIG. 2, module 40 is aligned, or substantially aligned,with a horizontal axis 41. The module 40 comprises a cylindrical chamber42 made of a dielectric material such as polyvinylchloride (PVC) andhaving at a first end portion 43 an inlet 44 that receives an influentin the form of the water stream 21. At a second end portion 45, anoutlet 46 releases an effluent stream in the form of the water stream21A in which previously dissolved contaminants have been separated fromthe water and exist in the form of relatively small particulates thatare subsequently filtered, or in the form of gas that is subsequentlyvented. The first and second ends 43 and 45 of the chamber 42 are closedby end caps 50 and 52, respectively, made of a dielectric material suchas PVC. The end caps 50 and 52 are bolted by bolts 54 to inverting rings56 and 58, respectfully, that are received around the first and secondends 43 to 45 of the chamber 42 and are positioned in abutment with endsleeves 60 and 61 fixed to the cylindrical chamber 42. Positivelycharged and negatively charged leads 64 extend from the second end cap52 on the cylindrical chamber 42 and are attached to electrodes withinthe chamber.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-5, it is seen that within the chamber 42 anarray 66 of electrodes 68, configured as rods, are imbedded in aseparator 70 of insulating material adjacent to the first end cap 50,and imbedded in an insulator 72 of insulating material, at the secondend cap 52 so that the electrodes 68 are electrically isolated from oneanother. In order to ionize and remove dissolved contaminates, it isnecessary to set up electrical charge gradiants within the chamber 42 bynegatively charging one portion of the array 66 of electrodes 68 andpositively charging another portion of the array 66 of electrodes 68.

As is seen in the end views of FIGS. 4 and 5, one array of electrodes68A has a negative charge (−) while another array of electrodes 68B hasa positive charge (+). This creates ionization within the water 21 beingtreated. In order to prevent clogging of electrodes 68B attractingnegatively charged ions, the polarity of the arrays 66A and 66B areperiodically reversed, as is shown by comparing FIGS. 4 and 5. Byapplying DC current at low voltage and keeping the influent water 21moving though the chamber 42 at a selected speed so that hydraulicretention time is sufficient to obtain ionization of contaminatessuspended in particulate form in the water 21 being treated, and byperiodically reversing the polarity of the electrode arrays, clogging ofthe space between electrodes array 66A and 66B is avoided. Since theparticulate contaminates remain suspended, the particulates can beremoved by settlement and filtration at station 36 of FIG. 1.

Further with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 2-6, FIG. 6 shows apractical way in which to install the electrode array 66 wherein theelectrodes 68 are retained by the first insulator 70 located at end cap50 using bushings 80 and retained by the second insulator 72 at secondend cap 52′ by bushings 82. In the arrangement of FIG. 6, the end caps50 and 52′ are made of an insulating material such as PVC.

While the module 40 is shown aligned with a horizontal axis in FIG. 2,the module 40 is oriented with a vertical axis 41′ in the secondembodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 7. This takes advantage of thetendency of gas to flow upwardly allowing gas to vent via a vent 34 nowdisposed proximate the upper end 43 of the chamber 42 of the module 40.

The key to successful electrochemical treatment of waste and raw waterat atomic and molecular levels is effective application of voltage,amperage, hydraulic retention time and electrode material in combinationto provide electrical charge densities on the electrodes and electricalpotential between the electrodes to produce a desired electrochemicalreaction. The power applied is determined according to the mass ofmaterial to be removed, i.e., watts/pounds removed.

The following Charts A, B and C cite test data from testing theprototype illustrated in FIGS. 2-7 of the drawings. The parameters usedoccur within testing ranges initially selected by the inventor, whichranges do not limit the scope of the inventor's invention. The test dataestablish that the inventor has eliminated, or at least minimized,clogging of spaces between electrodes 68 by contaminants whenelectrochemically removing contaminants from water within the module 40.

As is evident from the charts, preferred test ranges are as follows:

DC Voltage: about 10 volts to about 50 volts,

DC Amperage: about 15 amps to about 35 amps,

Hydraulic retention time: about 2 minutes to about 5 minutes,

Spacing between electrodes: about 0.75 inch (1.90 cm), and

Polarity switching cycle: performed manually at intervals of about 5minutes.

The ranges and specific parameter values recited in the Charts A, B andC are within larger contemplated ranges as follows:

-   -   DC Voltage: about 10.0 volts to about 60 volts,    -   DC Current: about 5.0 amps to about 50.0 amps,    -   Hydraulic Retention Time: about 30 seconds to 5 minutes, about 2        minutes, 30 seconds being preferred    -   Electrode Diameters: about 0.25 inch (0.635 cm) is preferred,        but the electrodes may be effective at other diameters    -   Electrode Spacing: preferably >0.25 inch (0.635 cm)    -   Electrode Materials: iron, copper, carbon, aluminum.    -   Electrode Shape: The electrodes may have any shape effective to        accomplish the invention, such as but not limited to:        cylindrical rods, perforated or unperforated flat plates,        undulating plates or rods.    -   Polarity Change Cycle: about 1 minute to 15 minutes.

While the cylindrical module 40 used to demonstrate the effectiveness ofthe invention has a length of 25 inches (63.5 cm) and a diameter of 6inches (15.24 cm), a module used to practice the invention may have anydimensional configuration that achieves similar useful results. Theelectrodes 68 of the illustrated electrode array 66 are iron rods thatare circular in cross section and have a diameter of ¼ inch (2.54centimeters). The cylindrical module 40 has dimensions which aresuitable for intermittent flow wherein the water being treated remainsin the module for a time sufficient to apply various voltages andamperages to achieve a range of test results such as those of the ChartsA, B and C.

A preferable practice is to have an array of modules, configured toachieve results similar to the module 40, wherein individual modules canbe readily replaced if necessary. The module can be arranged with othermodules in parallel or serial arrays, or unparallel and serial arrays,to accomplish removal of contaminants from waste water or raw water. Inorder to increase hydraulic retention time, recycling of partiallydecontaminated water can be performed in order to further decontaminatealready treated water.

Module construction can be scaled up to a much larger individual size,for example, a size suitable to decontaminate waste water dischargedfrom sewerage plants. Also, module construction can be scaled muchsmaller, for example to decontaminate tap water or water entering a homeor a community, so as to remove endocrine disrupting compounds andpersonal care products from potable water. Modules scaled even smallerand using DC current from batteries and/or solar cells are usable todecontaminate raw water for drinking by campers, hunters and hikers, aswell as to decontaminate raw water for military personnel.

The principles of the present invention, as exemplified in by the module40 of FIGS. 2-7, can be used to treat waste water and/or bilge waterprior to discharge from ships and pleasure boats to remove contaminants.It is also contemplated that these principles are applicable to removingsalt from sea water when sea water is used as a source of raw water forships or perhaps agriculture, and for removing urea from urinerecirculated to provide drinking water for astronauts.

Charts A, B and C are test results establishing the effectiveness of themethod and system in removing various contaminants from water andaqueous solutions.

CHART A Electrochemical Treatment of Municipal Wastewater Plant 1Contaminant Raw BOD¹ Raw Phos Raw TKN² Electrode Material Iron Iron IronElectrode Spacing 0.75; 1.905 0.75; 1.905 0.75; 1.905 (inches;centimeters) Power Supplied to the System 120 Volt AC 120 Volt AC 120Volt AC DC Voltage Applied Low 10 10 10 Medium 30 30 30 High 50 50 50Amperage Applied Low 15 15 15 Medium 25 25 10 High 35 35 15 HydraulicRetention Time (minutes) Low 1 1 1 Medium 3 3 3 High 5 5 5 UntreatedConcentration 350 6.9 62 (mg/l) EC Treated Concentration (mgl) Low 524.4 44 Medium 34 1.3 39 High 26 0.8 31 Percent Removal Low 85 36 29Medium 90 81 37 High 93 88 50 Contaminant Effluent Effluent PrimaryNitrate E Coli Phos Electrode Material Iron Iron Iron Electrode Spacing0.75; 1.905 0.75; 1.905 0.75; 1.905 (inches; centimeters) Power Suppliedthe System 120 Volt AC 120 Volt AC 120 Volt AC DC Voltage Applied Low 1010  10 Medium 30 30  30 High 50 50  50 Amperage Applied Low 15 15  5Medium 25 25  10 High 35 35  15 Hydraulic Retention Time (minutes) Low 11 1 Medium 3 3 3 High 5 5 5 Untreated Concentration 16.8 >1,600    2.3(mg/l) EC Treated Concentration (mgl) Low 0.2 0 0.8 Medium 0.2 0 0.3High 0.2 0 0.3 Percent Removal Low 99 99+ 65 Medium 99 99+ 87 High 9999+ 87 ¹BOD—Biochemical Oxygen Demand ²TKN—Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (sumof organic nitrogen, ammonia and ammonium)

CHART B Electrochemical Treatment of Municipal Wastewater Plant 2Contaminant Filter Eff Filter Eff Effluent BOD¹ TOC³ Ph ElectrodeMaterial Iron Iron Iron Electrode Spacing 0.75; 1.905 0.75; 1.905 0.75;1.905 (inches; centimeters) Power Supplied to the System 120 Volt AC 120Volt AC 120 Volt AC DC Voltage Applied Low 10 10 10 Medium 30 30 30 High50 50 50 Amperage Applied Low 15 15 15 Medium 25 25 10 High 35 35 15Hydraulic Retention Time (minutes) Low  1 1 1 Medium  3 3 3 High  5 5 5Untreated Concentration  4 34 6.4 (mg/l) EC Treated Concentration (mgl)Low <2 28 6.9 Medium <2 27 8.0 High <2 8.3 Percent Removal Low  50+ 18NA Medium  50+ 21 NA High  50+ NA Contaminant Effluent Effluent PrimaryNitrate E Coli Phos Electrode Material Iron Iron Iron Electrode Spacing0.75; 1.905 0.75; 1.905 0.75; 1.905 (inches, centimeters) Power Suppliedto the System 120 Volt AC 120 Volt AC 120 Volt AC DC Voltage Applied Low10 10  10 Medium 30 30  30 High 50 50  50 Amperage Applied Low 20 15  5Medium 30 25  10 High 40 35  15 Hydraulic Retention Time (minutes) Low 11 1 Medium 3 3 3 High 5 5 5 Untreated Concentration 16.7 >1,600    3.5(mg/l) EC Treated Concentration (mgl) Low 10.1 0 0.6 Medium 0.1 0 0.3High 0.3 0 0.2 Percent Removal Low 40 99+ 83 Medium 99 99+ 91 High 9899+ 94 ¹BOD—Biochemical Oxygen Demand ³TOC—Total Organic Carbon(includes, but is not limited to, pharmaceutical products, such asantibiotics and endocrine disrupting compounds exemplified estrogencompounds, and to personal and household care products, such ascosmetics and deodorant sprays).

CHART C Electrochemical Treatment of Beverage Plant WastewaterContaminant Phosphorous Copper pH Electrode Material Iron Iron IronElectrode Spacing 0.75; 1.905 0.75; 1.905 0.75; 1.905 (inches,centimeters) Power Supplied to the System 240 Volt AC 240 Volt AC 240Volt AC DC Voltage Applied Low 10 10  10 Medium 30 30  30 High 50 50  50Amperage Applied Low 5 10  10 Medium 20 20  20 High 35 30  30 HydraulicRetention Time (minutes) Low 1 1 2 Medium 3 3 High 5 5 5 UntreatedConcentration 3.50    0.075 6.3 (mg/l) EC Treated Concentration (mgl)Low 1.64 ND 7.0 Medium 1.04 ND 8.3 High 0.62 ND 8.9 Percent Removal Low53 99+ NA Medium 70 99+ NA High 82 99+ NA

The electrodes 66 used to develop the data of charts A, B, and C arecircular iron electrodes having a diameter of ¼ inch (0.635 cm). Forpurposes of this invention the electrodes have a preferable range of ⅛inch (0.317 cm) to 5/16 inch (0.794 cm), however, the diameter may besubstantially smaller wherein the electrodes have diameters which aremeasured in terms of wire gauge.

FIGS. 8-12

Referring now to FIGS. 8-12 there is shown another embodiment of anelectrochemical cell, but configured as a polygonal, preferablyrectangular, conductive module 100 having an increased water treatmentcapacity over that of FIGS. 2-7. The conductive module 100 is within adielectric housing 102, which is preferably square in cross section andmade of a dielectric material such as fiberglass. Influent, such as butnot limited to, untreated water 21 from a raw water source 22 or a wastewater source 23 (see FIG. 1) is introduced by an inlet 103 provided atthe bottom end 104 of the dielectric housing 102 of the conductivemodule 100. Treated exfluent 21A exits the conductive module 100 throughan outlet 105 provided by the open top end of the dielectric housing102.

The untreated water 21 flows upwardly through a bank 110 of individualelectrode rod sheets 112 having individual rods 113 which are preferablycircular in cross section. (See FIG. 11). The electrode rod sheets 112are connected to eyelets 116 along one bus bar 118 of each electrode rodsheet 112. The bus bars 118 establish an electrical connection withbuses 120 and 122, buses having threaded posts 124 and 126 thereon. Theelectrode rod sheet 112 has buses 118 and 119 which provide either apositive (+) or a negative (−) polarity to the rods 113 that extendtherebetween. The rods 113 are preferably circular and have a spacing ofabout ¾ inch (1.905 cm). The buses 120 and 122 have opposite electricalcharges (+ and −) thereon so that all electrode rod sheets 112 connectedto the bus bar 120 have a positive charge and all electrode rod sheets112 connected to the bus bar 122 have a negative bias. Periodically, thepolarity reverser 32 (see FIG. 1) reverses polarity on the buses 120 and122 in order to minimize the possibility of clogging within theelectrode rod sheet bank 110. Within the dielectric housing 102, theelectrode rod sheets 112 are electrically insulated from one another bydielectric spacers 130 (see FIGS. 8 and 9) while adjacent electrode rodsheets 112 have electrical connections 124 and 126 of differentpolarities so that adjacent electrode rod sheets have oppositepolarities. If over time, the individual rods 113 comprising the rodsheets 112 degrade, the electrode rod sheets or panels 112 as seen inFIGS. 11 and 12 may be readily withdrawn from the dielectric housing 102and replaced.

The conductive module 100 of FIGS. 8-12 has a preferred processing ratein a range of about 35-60+ gallons per minute and has a width in a rangeof about 2 to 5 feet. In practicing this invention to remove remainingcontaminants from untreated discharge water 21, numerous electrochemicalmodules, such as the conductive module 100, are connected in parallel.For example, at a rate of about 50 gallons per minute one hundredelectrochemical conductive modules 100 are expected to decontaminateabout seven million gallons of water per day.

FIG. 11A is a perspective view of another embodiment of the inventionwherein the electrode rod sheets 112 are configured as grates 127. Eachgrate 127 has rod portions 128 separated by elongated voids 129. Thegrates 127 may be formed by stamping metal plates, such as aluminum oraluminum alloy plates, to remove metal so as to create the voids 129. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the plate 127 is at least substantiallyflat. In another embodiment, the grates 127 are made of iron or ironalloys such as steel.

FIGS. 13-16

Referring now to FIGS. 13, 14 and 15, the conductive module 100 anddielectric housing 102 are inserted into a dielectric containerstructure 130, which in a preferred embodiment is cylindrical, to formwith the dielectric container structure 130 a reaction chamber 132. Thedielectric housing 102 of the conductive module 100 has verticallyextending corners 134 which engage an inner cylindrical wall 136 of thecontainer structure 130 so as to provide an inlet chamber 140 and anoutlet chamber 142. The inlet chamber 140 is connected to an inlet pipe144 for delivering untreated water 21 to the inlet chamber of thereaction chamber 132 and the outlet chamber 142 is connected to anoutlet pipe 148 connected to an outlet line for discharging treatedwater 21A from the reaction chamber 132. A floor 149 is integral withthe bottom of the cylindrical wall 136 of the dielectric container 130.In the illustrated embodiment the conductive module 100 is square incross section and has four vertically extending corners.

In order to facilitate entry of untreated structure water 21 into theconductive module 100 the dielectric housing 102 directly support theconductive module 100 has a first wall 160 having a undercut 162defining an inlet opening 163 allowing untreated water 21 to flow fromthe inlet chamber 140 into the dielectric housing 102. Hydraulicpressure in the inlet chamber 140 forces the untreated water 21 to risein the dielectric housing 102 so that the untreated water 21 is exposedto the electrode rod panels 112 for a time sufficient to removecontaminants from the untreated water 21 to produce the treated water21A. In one example of the illustrated embodiment, the undercut 162 hasa height of about 1 inch providing a 1 inch inlet opening in thedielectric housing 102 communicating with the inlet 104 of theconductive module 100.

The treated water 21A then flows over a top edge 166 of a second wall168 of the housing 102, which top edge 166 is an overcut which is lowerthan the top edges of the first wall 160 and two side walls 170 and 172of the dielectric housing 102. From the top edge 166, the treated water21A flows downward in the outlet chamber 142, and out of the outlet pipe148 to the clarification/filtration station 36 (FIG. 1). The overcutreducing the height of the top edge 166 is substantially greater thanthe undercut 162. For example, the overcut over the top edge 166 isabout 6 inches while the undercut 162 through the first wall 160 isabout 1 inch.

As is seen in FIGS. 13 and 15, there are pair of side chambers 176 and178 which are preferably filled with foam. In this illustratedembodiment, the dielectric container structure 130 is preferably made offiberglass and the dielectric housing 102 within the container structure130 is preferably made of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) forming a dielectricsupport structure for the conductive module 100.

As is seen in FIG. 15, there is an air gap 170 between the outlet end171 of the inlet pipe 144 and the top surface 173 of the untreated water21 accumulated in the inlet chamber 140. The air gap 170 electricallyisolates the untreated water 21 from the upstream portion of thetreatment system 20 illustrated in FIG. 1. Similarly, there is an airgap 175 between the outlet of the dielectric housing 102 formed by theover cut 166 and the top surface 177 of the treated water 21Aaccumulating in the outlet chamber 142. There are vents 178 and 178 athrough the first wall 160 and dielectric container 130 adjacent theinlet pipe 144 and a vent 179 at the top of the outlet chamber 142.

As is seen in FIGS. 14 and 15, the inlet pipe 144 includes a PVC ballvalve 180 and the outlet pipe 148 includes a PVC ball valve 182. Theinlet pipe 144 has a diameter (for example 3 inches) which is largerthan that of the outlet pipe 148 (for example 2 inches). A PVC drainvalve 186 is placed in a portion of the floor 149 at the bottom of inletchamber 140. Preferably, the outlet pipe 148 is beneath the portion ofthe floor 149 located at the outlet chamber 142. The top of the housing102 is preferably open to the atmosphere in order to let gases such asnitrogen vent from the water 21 being treated by the electrode rodsheets or panels 112.

In order to process about 40 gallons/min of contaminated water, thereaction chamber 132 has a dielectric housing 102 with a width of about24 inches and a height of about 30 inches, which reaction chamber 132 iscontained within a dielectric container structure 130 having a diameterof about 36 inches. In a preferred embodiment, only a single input pump26 (see FIG. 1) is connected to the inlet pipe 180; however as is seenin FIG. 15, a pump 178 may be placed on the outlet pipe 148 thatprovides an outlet line for drainage of the treated water 21A from theoutlet chamber 142.

The inlet and outlet valves 180 and 182 are adjusted so that the levelof the treated water 21A emerging from the module 100 and flowing overthe overcut edge 166 does not rise above the top of the containerstructure 130 and overflow the container structures.

A cap 185 covers the reaction chamber 132 and has a dog house vent 186.

Referring now to FIG. 16, a plurality of reaction chambers 132 (a-n),each of which is as illustrated in FIGS. 13-15, are arranged in parallel(a-n) connection with a feed pipe 190 feeding a parallel array of inletpipes 144. The inlet pump 26 (also see FIG. 1), pumps untreated water toeach of the reaction chambers which drain through outlet pipes 148 (a-n)to a drain line 192. The drain line 192 connects to a final processingstation 36 (FIG. 1) where additional clarification and/or filtrationoccurs before clear treated water 21B (FIG. 1) is released back into theenvironment or collected in holding ponds or containers for recycling.

EXAMPLES

a) When using the module 100 within the dielectric container structure130 of FIGS. 13-16, a maximum power level of about 15 Kw per module issufficient for various applications. The actual power level applieddepends on the chemical make-up of the water being treated. Preferably,the 15 Kw power supply is capable of producing direct current at 500amps and 30 volts, or any other combination of amperage or voltagewithin the 15 Kw envelope.

b) In a specific example, laundry water was treated at a DC power levelof 400 amps and 9 volts with satisfactory results, however a higheramperage is thought to achieve better results. The satisfactory resultswere achieved at a pump speed of 16.5 U.S. gallons per minute (62.46liters per minute) with a hydraulic retention time of about 2 minutes.Specifically, removal of contaminants was observed at 95 watts/gallon [9volts×400 amps/38 gallons (94.74 liters)].

c) Experiments on synthetic soapy samples using the module of FIGS. 2-7used voltages in the range of 10 v to 20 v with amperages remainingunder 40 amps arrange for this purpose and utilizes a maximum voltage of50 volts and maximum amperage of about 47 amps.

d) For acidic mine drainage it was calculated that about 1 Kw per gallon(3.785 liters) is suitable.

These examples are indicative of results achieved by this invention thusfar. The selected ratio of voltage/amperage depends on the contaminantbeing removed from the water.

Other variations of the above principles will be apparent to those whoare knowledgeable in the field of the invention, and such variations areconsidered to be within the scope of the present invention. Othermodifications and/or alterations may be used in the configuration and/ormanufacture of the apparatus of the present invention, or in methods ofpracticing the present invention, without departing from the spirit andscope of the accompanying claims.

Moreover, the word “substantially” when used with an adjective or adverbis intended to enhance the scope of a particular characteristic.

Without further elaboration, it is believed that one skilled in the artcan, using the preceding description, utilize the present invention toits fullest extent. The preceding preferred specific embodiments are,therefore, to be construed as merely illustrative, and not limitative ofthe remainder of the disclosure in any way whatsoever.

In the foregoing and in the examples, all temperatures are set forthuncorrected in degrees Celsius and, all parts and percentages are byweight, unless otherwise indicated.

The entire disclosures of all applications, patents and publications,cited herein and of pending U.S. application Ser. No. 12/492,367, filedJun. 26, 2009, are incorporated in their entirety by reference herein.

The preceding examples can be repeated with similar success bysubstituting the generically or specifically described reactants and/oroperating conditions of this invention for those used in the precedingexamples.

From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easilyascertain the essential characteristics of this invention and, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changesand modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages andconditions.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system for removing contaminants from rawwater or waste water, the system including at least one electrochemicaltreatment module comprising: a housing having an inlet for untreatedwater and an outlet for treated water that has been treated within thehousing; an array of electrodes comprising at least two positive and twonegative electrodes within the housing, the electrodes having spacethere between of a selected distance, the space being greater than 0.5inches (1.27 cm); and a source for applying direct current theelectrodes to charge one portion of the array positively and anotherportion of the array negatively so as to create an electromotive forcepotential between oppositely charged electrodes, the direct currentbeing sufficient to oxidize the contaminants and to neutralize smallparticle surface charges in an aqueous solution, wherein the inlet foruntreated water is below the outlet for treated water and wherein theelectrodes extend transverse to the direction of water flow with thearray of electrodes being configured of adjacent grids of alternatingpolarity, the grids having insulating material disposed there between,each grid is formed as a panel of spaced rods disposed between a pair ofbus bars with each bus bar being connected to either a positive ornegative bus, the panels extend vertically within the housing to form anelectrochemical module, and the housing and panels of spaced rods areboth rectangular with the outlet being disposed in a detachable portionof the housing to facilitate access to the grids, the positive bus andnegative bus being on opposite sides of the housing to allow replacementof the grids in the housing after removal of the outlet portion of thehousing.
 2. The system of claim 1 further including a switch forreversing polarity at selected time intervals to minimize cloggingtendencies in the space between electrodes.
 3. The system of claim 2further including a partial removal facility having an inlet connectedto the outlet for gravitational or centrifugal removal and/or filteringof contaminant particulates from the treated water to remove thecontaminant particulates and a venting arrangement for venting gascontaminant from the treated water, the partial removal facility havingan outlet.
 4. The system of claim 2 wherein the electrodes are circularin cross section.
 5. The system of claim 4 wherein the electrodes have adiameter in the range of ⅛ inch (0.317 cm) to 5/16 inch (0.794 cm). 6.The system of claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of modules arrangedin parallel to form at least one group of modules to increase thecapacity of the system.
 7. The system of claim 6 wherein there are aplurality of groups of modules to further increase the capacity of thesystem.
 8. The system of claim 1 wherein each positively chargedelectrode is adjacent at least one negatively charged electrode andwherein each negatively charged electrode is adjacent at least onepositively charged electrode.
 9. The system of claim 1 wherein the arrayof electrodes is rectangular.
 10. The system of claim 1 wherein thearray of electrodes is polygonal.
 11. The system of claim 1 wherein theelectrochemical module is square in horizontal cross section andrectangular in vertical cross section with the inlet and outlet beingaligned with a vertical axis.
 12. The system of claim 11 wherein theelectrochemical module is combined with other electrochemical modules toremove contaminants from water.
 13. The system of claim 1 wherein theelectrodes have a uniform shape in cross section.
 14. The system ofclaim 1 wherein the electrodes have a shape selected from a groupconsisting of cylindrical rods, perforated flat plates, unperforatedflat plates, and undulating plates and rods.
 15. The system of claim 1wherein the electrodes are positioned parallel to the raw water or wastewater flow and wherein the raw water or waste water directly contactsthe electrodes.
 16. The system of claim 1 wherein the raw water orwastewater enters a manifold and the intake of the housing positioned atthe base of said housing, said raw water or wastewater flows verticallyin an upward direction within a portion of the housing containing theelectrodes and wherein treated water exits through outlets positioned atthe top of the housing.
 17. The system of claim 1 wherein said housingalso comprises a vent for the release of fluid gases released during thereaction process.
 18. A device for removing contaminants from raw wateror waste water, the device being an electrochemical treatment modulecomprising: a housing having an inlet for untreated water and an outletfor treated water that has been treated within the housing, the inletbeing positioned below the outlet wherein the direction of water flow isupward toward the inlet during treatment; an array of electrodescomprising at least two positive and two negative electrodes within thehousing, the electrodes having space therebetween of a selecteddistance, the space being greater than 0.5 inches (1.27 cm), theelectrodes extending transverse to the direction of water flow and beingarranged in adjacent grids of alternating polarity with insulatingmaterial disposed therebetween; and a source for applying direct currentto the electrodes to charge one portion of the array positively andanother portion of the array negatively so as to create an electromotiveforce potential between oppositely charged electrodes, the directcurrent being sufficient to oxidize the contaminants and to neutralizesmall particle surface charges in an aqueous solution, wherein the gridsare formed as a panel of spaced rods with each panel being disposedbetween a pair of bus bars and with each bus bar being connected toeither a positive or negative bus, the panels extend vertically withinthe housing to form an electrochemical module, and the housing andpanels are both rectangular with at least the outlet being disposed in adetachable portion of the housing to facilitate access to the panels,the positive bus and negative bus being on opposite sides of the housingto allow replacement of the panels in the housing after removal of theoutlet portion of the housing.
 19. The device of claim 18 wherein theelectrochemical module is square in horizontal cross section andrectangular in vertical cross section with the inlet and outlet beingaligned with a vertical axis.
 20. The device of claim 19 wherein theelectrochemical module is combined with other electrochemical modules toprovide a system for removing contaminants from water.
 21. The device ofclaim 18 wherein the electrodes have a diameter of ¼ inch (0.635 cm).22. The device of claim 18 wherein the electrodes have a uniform shapein cross section.
 23. The device of claim 18 wherein the electrodes havea shape selected from a group consisting of cylindrical rods, perforatedflat plates, unperforated flat plates, and undulating plates and rods.